Gadsden Highway Patrol post moving to Northeast Alabama Regional Airport

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Highway Patrol post in Etowah County is moving from its longtime home on U.S. Highway 431/278 in Attalla.

The City of Gadsden in a news release on Wednesday announced the finalization of plans to relocate the post to the Fire Training and Prevention Center at the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport, inside the Gadsden city limits.

Renovations have been underway at that facility in preparation for that move, which is projected to take place by early summer.

Mayor Craig Ford said ALEA officials approached with the idea early in his term, “and we've been working on it ever since.”

Those officials called the new location ideal because of its proximity both to Interstate 59 and state highways, and because the existing fire department and military facilities (the airport hosts regular Army National Guard training) will help provide an additional layer of security.

Ford said he's “ecstatic” to see the deal become reality, adding, “It made perfect sense to me. We already have firefighters, medics and military at our airport. Now, we’ll have a strong presence of law enforcement making that more of a public safety complex adjacent to our airport. To be able to provide our State Troopers better facilities is an honor and will generate new revenue for the city.”

ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said, “The relocation of the Highway Patrol post represents a shared commitment to promoting safety, security and community well-being. I echo Mayor Ford’s words and I am grateful to him and the City of Gadsden for the collaborative efforts and for the support to bring this move to fruition.

“ALEA’s mission is to protect the lives of our citizens as well as the visitors to our great state,” Taylor said. “Partnerships and initiatives such as this allows our agency to achieve that goal.”

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Gadsden Highway Patrol post moving to Northeast Alabama Regional Airport